1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a pack for pourable materials.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There are a number of known packs consisting of at least two elements, namely an inner plastic container or bag and an outer envelope of cardboard, for example of the type described in GB-A-944,565 or DE-A-29 03 562. If the inner plastic container has little or no stability, the cardboard envelope is generally used to stiffen the pack, although it is also intended to enable printing or the like to be applied more easily. A pack of this type is also known, for example, from EP-O 225 677-A2.
In view of the increase in environmental awareness, efforts are being made to reduce the plastic component of packs and to increase the paper or cardboard envelope component because the necessary material can be obtained by recycling wastepaper. Efforts are also being made to guarantee the refillability of such packs without affecting any of the key functions of stability, ease of handling and the like.
A pack shown in FR-A-2 013 654 consists of a hollow plastic container which is produced by blow-molding, and of which the supporting jacket is fixed on the hollow plastic container through the presence in the supporting jacket of several openings which engage with corresponding projections on the hollow plastic container. The disadvantage of the round pack described is that, the supporting jacket and the hollow plastic container have to be specifically guided towards one another or have to be turned relative to one another until the openings in the supporting jacket and the projections on the hollow plastic container engage in one another. This necessitates particular effort in the production of the pack. In addition, the plurality of interengaging fixing elements complicates separation of the hollow plastic container and the supporting jacket, whereby considerable force is required for removing the supporting jacket from the hollow plastic container. In another embodiment of this known pack, the supporting jacket is fixed in a groove formed in the hollow plastic container. Considerable force again has to be applied to separate the supporting jacket and the hollow plastic container. Finally, the known packs have no grip openings or grips for handling the pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,326 describes a pack consisting of a hollow plastic container and a surrounding envelope of cardboard. However, this envelope is not a supporting jacket, but rather an outer cardboard case provided with base and cover laps. This outer cardboard case comprises laps designed to be folded inwards into a recess formed in the hollow plastic container. Grip openings are formed in this way. In this known pack, the outer envelope is not fixed on the hollow plastic container by the laps, but by cover and base laps instead.
GB-A-2,206,567 describes a thin-walled hollow plastic container which is provided with a reinforcing shoulder in the vicinity of this closure.
A bottle surrounded by an envelope is known from DE-C-193 757, the envelope being locally provided with die-cut openings for checking the filling level of the bottle.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,827 describes a hollow plastic container which, along one side edge, is formed with a recess in the form of a handle for holding the container.